A young boy saved his mother from drowning while she suffered from a potentially fatal epileptic fit in the family’s backyard pool.
According to Good Morning America, Gavin Keeney, 10, was seen on footage from a home surveillance camera diving into the pool to help his drowning mother Lori Keeney.
The 44-year-old mother told the outlet that the two were having a "wonderful morning" when they had decided to go for a swim in their family pool.
"[Gavin] had just gotten out of the pool and I just went into a seizure," Lori, who has epilepsy and is prone to seizures, told GMA. "It scared me more than I've ever been scared."
Watch their interview below:Lori's son was on the back porch when he heard the water splash. He then looked over and saw his mother "sinking in the pool" which prompted him to leap in to save her life.
In the video footage, Gavin can be seen pulling his mom to the pool's edge, all the while keeping her head above water until his grandfather came to help.
"I was scared a little bit," the youngster said of the incident, while his mom described him as her "hero" and expressed that he is her "guardian angel".
In a celebration of Gavin's heroic act, the Kingston Police Department awarded him a "Saving a Life" plaque in front of his community, per KTEN News.
The outlet reported that this is the second time the young boy received the plaque, as he previously helped prevent his mom from choking.
Kasey Cox, the chief of the department, called Gavin a hero in his speech and said: "He has such great compassion for humankind and his friends and family, and I really hope that maybe this is a future for him."
Check out Gavin with his award below:Lori mentioned that her son often helps her with her seizures, and expressed proudness in seeing him get recognition in their town.
"[A] truly amazing thing to see, and I don't normally get to see him in action and what he gets to do after I'm having a seizure," she said. "This is the first time I actually got to see it just because of security cameras ... so much pride in him... at the same time, it was heartbreaking to watch."
Cox also spoke with People about the award and said that it was important to show everyone, including Gavin himself, that "he was selfless and brave".
"Due to his quick actions, he saved a life," he said, adding: "Due to Gavin's quick actions, his mother didn't have to go to the hospital and swallowed no water. He is a hero. That's the bottom line. "
Well done, Gavin! The world is a better place thanks to amazing people like you!
